Land mine housing



July 5, 1949. w. s. CATHERWOOD, JR 2,475,008

mun um: aousme I Filed March 50, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill d l 1 -s fir /4 I III! I x ORNE'Y July 5, 1-949. w. s.- CATHERWOOD, JR

' LAND MINE HOUSING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30,1944

I 7.. INV N-TORf ,7"

TTORNEY Patented July 5, 1949 LAND MINE HOUSING William S. Catherwood, Jr., Brooklyn, N. Y., as-

signor to Murray Manufacturing Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 30, 1944, Serial No. 528,695

4 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to a land mine and more particularly to a housing which constitutes a part of a land mine and holds the detonator, propelling charge and projectile.

' Heretofore and prior to this invention, the housing constituting a part of a land mine consisted of a heavy cast-iron base having two openings therethrough and containing a pocket for the propelling charge. To one of these openings a cylinder for a projectile is secured, commonly by silver solder. The other opening is tapped and one end of a thread pipe is threaded into the opening. A coupling is attached to the other end of the pipe and into this coupling the detonator is threaded. These housings are very heavy, expensive to manufacture and require considerable time and care in assembly.

An object of this invention is to provide such a housing constituting a part of a land mine in which the base is constructed from sheet metal by stamping and welding operations. Another object of the invention is to provide a construction that is considerably lighter in weight, that requires less metal, that is suitable for mass production and that is comparatively inexpensive.

The foregoing objects and certain advantages that will hereinafter appear are realized in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the I accompanying drawings and described in detail below.

The drawings include:

Fig. 1 which is a plan of a land mine housing embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 which is a sectional elevation of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 which is a sectional elevation of a slightly modified form of land mine housing.

The housing which forms a part of a land mine, that is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings essentially consists of a hollow base I having openings 2 and 3 through one end wall thereof, a cylinder 4 united to-the base coaxially with the opening 2 of larger diameter and a tube 5 united to the base coaxially with the opening 3 of lesser diameter. The base contains the propelling charge for propelling a projectile, such as a mortar shell that is received in the cylinder 4. The tube 5 supports the detonator.

In the housing illustrated the base I consists of two similar horizontally divided sections 6 and I stamped from heavy sheet metal. The openings' 2 and 3 are punched through the end wall 8 of the upper section 6. At the opening 3 the metal of the end wall is extruded to form an axially extending flange 9. To the end edge of the flange 9, one edge of the tube 5 is butt welded, preferabl by the electric resistance method of welding. The other end of the tube is threaded internally as at ID to receive the detonator. With this arrangement no coupling is required to secure the detonator to the tube.

The cylinder 4, is of larger diameter than the opening 2. It is provided with an inturned flange H having an axial extension I2. The axial extension is received in the opening 2 and is spun over to form an outwardly extending section I3 embracing the metal of the wall 8 surrounding the opening 2 and securing the cylinder to the base. In this way the cylinder is secured to the base and a tight connection between the cylinder and the base is secured.

The cylinder, and preferably the tube 5, are secured, as above described, to the upper section 6 of the base before the sections 6 and I are united. These sections of the base are united in edge to edge relation by butt welding the edges as at M. Preferably, the welding of the sections of the base is effected by the electric resistance welding method. In this way, the sections are integrally united and the method is suitable to mass production.

The shape of the base is as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. With this shape, the base is sufficient and of a size such as to hold the land mine with the cylinder 4 and tube 5 vertical, the position in which such land mines are usually placed.

The land mine housing illustrated in Fig. 3 is similar to the one above described except for the manner in which the cylinder I5 is united to the upper end wall l6 of the base II. In this construction, the cylinder is welded, by electric resistance welding, to the base. Thus, all parts are assembled and integrally united by the method of electric resistance welding.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 3, the metal at the opening I8, at which the cylinder 15 is united, is extruded to form an axially extending flange I9 surrounding the opening. The end of the cylinder [5 united to the base has an inturned flange 20 having a hook shaped end to provide an axial extension 2 l. The extension 2| abuts the flange I9 and is butt welded thereto. When the weld is completed, the base 22 of the cylinder engages the end wall l6. Any burr extruded during the weld is confined between the flange l9 and the base 22 of the cylinder.

From the foregoing description of the illustrated embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by the invention there is provided a land mine housing of different diameters through the wall thereof, a that is constructed from sheet metal by stamping cylinder of greater diameter than the larger openand forming operations, that is assembled by like ing for containing a projectile, the cylinder havoperations and welding operations and that is ing an inturned flange spun about the edge of the comparatively light in weight, readily manuiac- 5 opening of larger diameter, and a tube welded at tured by mass production methods and comparaone end to the base coaxial with the opening of tively less-expensive. lesserwdiameter.

It will be obvious-thativarious:changes mayzbe" 4. A' housing constituting aipart of=a:land mine made by those skilled in the art in the details of comprising a hollow base consisting of two horithe embodiments of the invention illustrated ini,-i0-,zontally divided sections united in edge to edge rethe drawings and described in detail above within lation, one of said sections havings two openings of the principle and scope of the invention" as 'ex differentdiameters through the wall thereof and pressed in the appended claims. an axiaLfiangev surrounding each opening, a cylin- I claim: dr oiflgreater diameter than the opening of l. A housing constituting a part of'aland-mine m larger diameter for containing a D J' the comprising a hollow base for containing the procylinder having an inturned flange with an axial pelling charge, a cylinder for-"containing a" pro extension united-inedge to edge relation with the jectile and a tube connected to the base for conaxial flange surrounding the opening of larger taining the detonator, the base consisting of two diameter, and a tube united in edge to edge relahorizontally dividedisectio'ns struck up from sheet' tion with the. axial flange surrounding the openmet'aland welded at their contacting edges, one ing of lesser diameter.

ofsaid'sections having two openings theretlirough' WILLIAMS. CATHERWOOD, J R; and the cylinder being unit'edto the base at one ofsaidopenings and the tube'united to the base E ENGES CITED atthe'ot'her'of Said opemngs' The following referenloe-s are of record in the 2. A housing constituting a part of a land mine me, of, this, patent; comprising a hollow baseconsisting of two horizontally. divided sections unit'edin edge to edge're: UNITED STATES PATENTS" lation, one of said-sections having two openings Number Name Date, offdifi'erent diameters through-the wall thereofla 0 467,792, Elliott Jan 5 9 cylinder of greater diameter than the 1arger-open 2,265,652 Murray Dec, 9,, 1941; ing-for containing a projectile, the cylinder hav- ,374 179 1 1 4, 1945 in'gpan inturned flange and'united to the base coaxial with the larger opening, and-a tube-welded FOREIGN PATENTS at oneend to the base coaxialwith the opening ,35 Number Country, D te.

of lesser diameter. 3,550 Great Britain -Apr. 7,188!- 31 A housing constitutingia part of-a landmine 106,555 Great Britain u May 31:, 1917 comprising. a hollow base consistingof two hori 133,347 Great Britain Oct. 16; 1919 zontally divided sections united in edge to edge 594,630 France June.27-, 1925 relation, one of said sections having two openings. 40' 

